OT: Tipping on take-out order

[Jtung230]

Do you tip getting coffee or buy groceries?

 

[Upstream]

So, all the times that I prepared take out orders as a server were what, then.... imagined? Thanks for explaining to me an industry I used to work in, though.

Yea this is wrong....
A hostess answers the phone and takes the order...then delivers it to a bartender who has to punch it in the computer...cook cooks it....food runner or server puts it in containers and bags it up plus a very important step adds any condiments (ketchup for the fries, blue cheese and celery for wings, lemons for fish), then delivers it to the pick up area...

Long story short tip when taking out from a restaurant...

Don't be melodramatic. The amount of effort and work involved in taking the order, putting it in a bag after it comes out of the kitchen, and processing the payment is a fraction of the effort and work required to do the same thing (sans putting the food in a bag) while waiting a table, with all of the extra stuff that goes along with waiting a table.

There is no justification for giving the same tip for take-out that you would give for being served while sitting at a table. If you leave 20% for an in-restaurant dining experience, then 2%-5% tops is the maximum justified for take-out.

Think about it. If you sat down at a table and got take-out-quality service (a waiter took your order, and you never saw anyone again until someone dropped off a bill and all the food all at the same time in the middle of the table, leaving it for you to give the right meals to each person in your party and clean up afterwards, and you never saw anyone again), would you leave 20% for excellent service?

 

[bac2therac]

Yes Bac. Always. Just a buck or two. I probably look at it differently because I worked in a restaurant for a long time.

You can't compare someone who works at Shop Rite with a restaurant employee. Two different industries.

sorry not going to happen...are you tipping at Mc Donalds...do you tip when you get a pretzel at RU concessions too.....do you tip the wa wa cashier? yes bartenders and servers deserve to get tipped..

 

[ashokan]

Would some of those reasons be you're great at your job and exceedingly handsome? That's what I always told myself when I was bartending.

Oh those can certainly a part of the situation. Bartenders can become mini-celebrities in their towns. I knew a kid who was making 2-2.5k a week as a 20yr old who couldn't even drink in a bar. He was the charismatic leader of a large pack of party animals. He also worked in an Irish pub in a railroad station. After two years he opened his own place down the street.

One night I was in there and started talking to a young gal in a waitress uniform (from a diner). She knew an impossible amount about movies for a kid her age. I mean we were talking 70 vs 35 mm, screenplay structure, visuals etc. Turned-out the kid was Jim Sheridan's daughter (he is Ireland's most famous director and made "My Left Foot".."The Field".."In the Name of the Father".."The Boxer"). Two years later I was watching her at the Oscars where she was nominated with her dad. You never know who you'll meet working in a restaurant.

Just last week I was watching Christina Perri (from Philly) do her song from Twilight. I found out she was a waitress for 7 years. You know she put-up with a lot of crap before she got famous

 

[beaced_rivals]

I never tipped on take out at my local pizza place (Emilios in Manalapan) and used to use a coupon too.....fast forward a few years later and one of the young men in my neighborhood managed to kill himself and a young girl that was with him in a car accident.

My younger son was part of the group that this young man hung out with. I found out through our neighbors that this pizza place had provided free pizza for one of the gatherings of the kids in our neighborhood.

After the funeral a couple of parents got together and bought some pies for the kids. I went and picked up the pies from this pizzeria and when they fond out what it was for they again refused payment.

Now i always order my pizza there and tip in the counter jar and never use a coupon.

The couple of bucks I was saving did not mean that much to me and was so deserved by this local business and their workers.

Sad story.

 

[RU206]

sorry not going to happen...are you tipping at Mc Donalds...do you tip when you get a pretzel at RU concessions too.....do you tip the wa wa cashier? yes bartenders and servers deserve to get tipped..

The pretzels at RU games are terrible. No tip for that.

 

[beaced_rivals]

You don’t tip at McDonalds.

When I go through the drive through pick up at BK,(I WOULDN'T EAT McD ONALDS unless I were starving)I always tell the person who takes the money to keep whatever the change is.

 

[Upstream]

When I go through the drive through pick up at BK,(I WOULDN'T EAT McD ONALDS unless I were starving)I always tell the person who takes the money to keep whatever the change is.

So if your combo meal is $5.28 and you give them a 20, you tell them to keep $14.72? Or do you give them $6 and tell them to keep $0.72?

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

I tip everywhere . Less on takeout but I still tip.

 

[knightfan7]

Oh those can certainly a part of the situation. Bartenders can become mini-celebrities in their towns. I knew a kid who was making 2-2.5k a week as a 20yr old who couldn't even drink in a bar. He was the charismatic leader of a large pack of party animals. He also worked in an Irish pub in a railroad station. After two years he opened his own place down the street.

One night I was in there and started talking to a young gal in a waitress uniform (from a diner). She knew an impossible amount about movies for a kid her age. I mean we were talking 70 vs 35 mm, screenplay structure, visuals etc. Turned-out the kid was Jim Sheridan's daughter (he is Ireland's most famous director and made "My Left Foot".."The Field".."In the Name of the Father".."The Boxer"). Two years later I was watching her at the Oscars where she was nominated with her dad. You never know who you'll meet working in a restaurant.

Just last week I was watching Christina Perri (from Philly) do her song from Twilight. I found out she was a waitress for 7 years. You know she put-up with a lot of crap before she got famous

Fame is fleeting. Obscurity is forever.

If I had to be famous for anything bartending would be wayyyyyy down the list.

 

[ElmiraExpress]

I tip everywhere . Less on takeout but I still tip.

Most of the time, I work in my office and sit at my desk. I’m now going to put a tip jar on my desk so fools like you might put a dollar or two in there from time to time

 

[RUtix4me]

Vincent 'Vinnie' Antonelli: It's not tipping I believe in. It's overtipping.

 

[RU to the Core]

Deliver 5 bucks unless it’s some huge catering thing. Take out. No tip.

 

[SkilletHead2]

No tipping in New Zealand. On anything.

When we first moved here, three guys delivered our stuff at our house. I struck up a conversation with the main guy, who, as it turns out, owned the little moving company. His wife worked at the local Cadbury plant. These guys worked like hell, carrying stuff up stairs and around tight corners. At the end of the day I said, "Listen I know we don't tip in NZ, but I'm from Jersey, and we tip everything that moves. Would tipping be OK?" He said, "Not for me, this is my company. But if you really feel like it, something for the boys would be OK." I gave them wach $20 and they thought they'd died and gone to heaven.

Two days later, we come home and there are three bags of Cadbury chocolate at our doorstep. The owner tipped me!

 

[HeavenUniv.]

A long time ago,I knew someone whose Dad owned a florist shop. I helped out on Mothers Day delivering flowers.The guy paid me minimum wage,but I thought that is fine I will be getting tips all day. Not sure how many places I went to,probably sixty or so. The entire day,I got one tip,for a grand total of five dollars. Never did that again.

 

[RUChoppin]

Don't be melodramatic. The amount of effort and work involved in taking the order, putting it in a bag after it comes out of the kitchen, and processing the payment is a fraction of the effort and work required to do the same thing (sans putting the food in a bag) while waiting a table, with all of the extra stuff that goes along with waiting a table.

There is no justification for giving the same tip for take-out that you would give for being served while sitting at a table. If you leave 20% for an in-restaurant dining experience, then 2%-5% tops is the maximum justified for take-out.

Think about it. If you sat down at a table and got take-out-quality service (a waiter took your order, and you never saw anyone again until someone dropped off a bill and all the food all at the same time in the middle of the table, leaving it for you to give the right meals to each person in your party and clean up afterwards, and you never saw anyone again), would you leave 20% for excellent service?

Yeah, you clearly didn't read anything I wrote (or have confused me with someone else). I said $1-2 bucks for takeout, never said anything about giving the same as for sit-down service.

Edit - here, I'll help you out with my initial post:

I usually leave a buck or two on a take out order - instead of waiting on a table, someone was packaging up my food in a bag. Less work that serving/bussing tables, but it's still someone taking time to make sure the bag is packed in a way that nothing spills or gets smashed.

 

[goru1869]

Got it. I always tip the woman who cuts my hair even though she owns the shop. She is still the one giving me the service.

And ...um .... tell us about this service thing she is giving you and do you have any pictures of her AND where does she work?

 

[theRU]

Take out? Never. We're getting crazy here in the states with over tipping

 

[goru1869]

If they need a tip they need to find a better job!

 

[jared04]

Vincent 'Vinnie' Antonelli: It's not tipping I believe in. It's overtipping.

Glad someone else thought of this.

 

[anon_xekqhstck0ygt]

for those talking about bad service and leaving a less than ideal tip.....

stiffing on the tip has no effect except maybe screw other workers who shared in that tip and didn't deserve to get screwed...

if you really want to send a message, tip the normal amount and TALK TO A MANAGER. A good manager will recify the situation and improve service for future customers.

 

[BigRnj]

I tip at sit down restaurants with a To Go/Curbside pickup service. In those cases a server (who makes nearly all their money from tips) is usually diverted from the sit down service to work the take out service for a given night, thereby missing out on any tips. In this case they are working for next to nothing if the take out customers don't tip something, even just a few bucks.

PS - I think some tight wads use this service just to avoid tipping

 

[ScarletDave]

If you provided a service that I otherwise could have done, then tip. I.e. delivery, I could have picked it up, but you brought it = tip. As for amount, if you made me happy during the process 20%. If just doing your job/attitude, 15%. Never less unless there is a reason. So far have been lucky.

 

[RUSK97]

This has nothing to do with the OP, but for sit down service, I generally tip between 15-25%. That said, it’s on a sliding scale depending on the cost of the meal. If it’s a $15 lunch, I’ll go more like $4-5. But if it’s a $200 dinner, I’m not giving them $50 bucks. I think $35 is adequate. Tipping is for quality and efficiency, yes, but the difference of what I’m getting between the two meals is not enough to warrant that kind of differential.

 

[KeithK7624]

This has nothing to do with the OP, but for sit down service, I generally tip between 15-25%. That said, it’s on a sliding scale depending on the cost of the meal. If it’s a $15 lunch, I’ll go more like $4-5. But if it’s a $200 dinner, I’m not giving them $50 bucks. I think $35 is adequate. Tipping is for quality and efficiency, yes, but the difference of what I’m getting between the two meals is not enough to warrant that kind of differential.

See I agree with some points here. If I go to outback and spend $80 on a meal for two it's $16 tip. If I go to a nice steakhouse, nothing crazy, and my meal is $200, why am I obligated to give $40 for the same level of service?

I tip better at places I frequent because well it's worth it. The extra care, the manager knows my name, etc. but it is getting out of hand that a waiter and waitress can easily make 60-80k+ in a decent restaurant. My best friend bartended at Chilis upon until he finished his masters two years ago and hated the fact that he was quitting his job making 1500 a week mostly cash for an entry level job making like 50k.

Anyways, this post is all over the place, and I respect waiters and waitresses and tip appropriately but now to them anything less than 20% is **** and they're making more money than most people right out of college.

 

[Crazed_RU]

And ...um .... tell us about this service thing she is giving you and do you have any pictures of her AND where does she work?

Hillsborough Deli.

 

[bac2therac]

over there they are big on just the tip

 

[cig04]

Always tip

 

[rudad02]

do people tip when they pick their pizzas up, I never have. Do you tip if you actually go and order at the register and wait...so whats the difference. I dont tip when I pick anything up. However if they are delivering then yes I will tip 20%. Should we also tip the grocery lady in Shop Rite or the deli guy slicing the meat

Why not!

 

[Scarlet dollar]

I don't tip on pickup from a pizza or Chinese restaurant ,or for ordering donuts at Dunkin. Nobody thinks of tipping, nor would we accept tips, in my retail store. The work is the same, only we are bagging merchandise instead of food. What's the difference? Chillies etc, are different, as servers are doing the work.

 

[RU206]

I don't tip on pickup from a pizza or Chinese restaurant ,or for ordering donuts at Dunkin. Nobody thinks of tipping, nor would we accept tips, in my retail store. The work is the same, only we are bagging merchandise instead of food. What's the difference? Chillies etc, are different, as servers are doing the work.

Pizza , Chinese, Dunkin all have tip jars/cups next to the register. Add a tip jar next to your register and see if anyone tips.

 

[DJ Spanky]

Got it. I always tip the woman who cuts my hair even though she owns the shop. She is still the one giving me the service.

Yep, me too. And now I usually have one of the boys coming in with me for a haircut. She's a great friend and treats them like royalty.

Interesting how when they say you should tip 20% quite a few people started tipping 20% instead of 15%. I might tip a little more than 15% but don’t want to tip 20% unless the party I’m with insist.

One thing we've noticed is that certain restaurants will automatically calculate in a 20% tip if you give them your credit card. Pretty ballsy to do that.

Take out? Never. We're getting crazy here in the states with over tipping

Yep, completely agree.

 

[SF88]

Pizza , Chinese, Dunkin all have tip jars/cups next to the register. Add a tip jar next to your register and see if anyone tips.

Would never allow a tip jar in my retail store-it's offensive. However, we do have a Dance Marathon jar if customers are so inclined. Everyone is in agreement to tip servers at sit down food/bar type establishments..Why don't we make this a Rutgers tip question....

Thomas Sweets-blend in, tip?
Stuff Yer Face-take out, tip?
Bubbakoos ( Chipotle ), tip?
Welsh Farms, any purchase, tip?
Efes, phone order, pick up, tip?
Hole in Wall bagel, I get my own coffee, pay for the bagel/sandwhich, tip?
Scarlet Fever, girl helps with size, folds your shirt, tip?

In these cases, all the employees are being paid at least a minimum wage, unlike servers. All of these employees are dealing with the customer for a similar amount of time
I believe 2 of these establishments have a tip cup

where you tip?

 

[RUnTeX]

You really couldn't just round up to the nearest quarter?

C'mon now, that $0.13-0.24 might break the bank.

I must say that we are a very generous tipping society here in the US. I'm reasonably generous within accepted ranges (esp. compared to most of my friends) when I'm out and served upon (bar, restaurant), or for delivery, but take out typically goes un-tipped unless they did something special for me. In fact, my local pizza place has recently upgraded to a Square terminal and will click the No Tip selection on the screen before rotating it towards me for my signature as they don't even expect it.

 

[koleszar]

C'mon now, that $0.13-0.24 might break the bank.

I must say that we are a very generous tipping society here in the US. I'm reasonably generous within accepted ranges (esp. compared to most of my friends) when I'm out and served upon (bar, restaurant), or for delivery, but take out typically goes un-tipped unless they did something special for me. In fact, my local pizza place has recently upgraded to a Square terminal and will click the No Tip selection on the screen before rotating it towards me for my signature as they don't even expect it.

Just busting your balls.

 

[RUBand]

Reconsider.You are being served,helped,by a very low wage person.Every little bit helps.Even if it only a Buck or Two.

I always leave a tip.

 

[RUnTeX]

Anyone tip mechanics? They obviously don't have tip jars nor do they use credit card receipts with a line for including tips. Yet they provide a service that keeps your vehicle running. I actually don't tip as a matter of practice per individual service visit but will consider giving a once a year tip during holiday time to a specific technician that works on my car multiple times over the course of the year and does right by me.

 

[RUtix4me]

While we are here let's hit the doorman, mailman and the everpresent envelope that shows up in a newspaper looking for holiday gifts. Landscapers, movers, furniture delivery?

 

[MADHAT1]

While we are here let's hit the doorman, mailman and the everpresent envelope that shows up in a newspaper looking for holiday gifts. Landscapers, movers, furniture delivery?

you'd be surprised, there are some people that don't mind tipping their landscaper , house cleaner and others who do weekly/monthly services to the house.
Usually around Christmas time , but anytime the maintenance person does something extra.
Sometimes if it's an all day job meal is provided even though that wasn't part of the agreed price for service rendered .
Movers and delivers might get a tip for doing something extra, like bring in a heavy package instead of leaving it at door because the person receiving it would have a hard time moving it.

It's easy to say some services don't deserve a tim or if a person needs a tip to survive they should get another job. It might seem easy to you, but might not be that easy for them.

As for office workers getting tips ( bonus), they have a salary they work for every week/semi-weekly and some rely on the bonus their company hand out to make their quality of life better.
How would that salaried employee feel if it was said : they are doing the work they are being paid to do, no bonus ( based on company's profits) should be given because they agreed to the salary they are being paid.

 

[beaced_rivals]

So if your combo meal is $5.28 and you give them a 20, you tell them to keep $14.72? Or do you give them $6 and tell them to keep $0.72?

It works like this:I give them a Benjamin. They don't know what to do with it and just hand me my whopper and wave me through. I hold on to the Bill at all times.